About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

The Diamond Mine is pleased to announce that Storm Edwards a sophomore from West Henderson High School has been named The Diamond Mine Dugout Club Player of the week. Edwards becomes the second West Henderson player to be named as Player of the week joining teammate Lane Grant who was named for the week of March 26th-30th. It also ties North Buncombe with multiple winners of the award (2). Edwards was on fire hitting .889 (8×9) last week with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 4 RBI’s. Edwards also scored 5 runs, had a slugging Pct. of 1.333% and had a perfect 1.000% on base percentage. Defensively Edwards was perfect going through the week errorless. For the season, Edwards is hitting over .500. Edwards is coached by Brandon Ball.

Special thanks for the Asheville American Legion Post 70 baseball team for this press release:

Asheville Post 70 American Legion Baseball Team will be having tryouts, rain or shine,
on Saturday April 28, 2012, for its upcoming season. Tryouts are open
to players who where born on or after January 1, 1993. Players have
to be at least a freshman in high school to tryout. Tryouts will start
at 11:30 and will end at 2:00, Tryouts will be held at A.C. Reynolds
High School. Any questions regarding this tryout can contact Coach
J.D. Hinson at (828) 230-1900.

Former Murphy quarterback Luke Charles continued his strong college career at UNC Pembroke with a solid performance in Saturday’s spring football game.

More from the Braves:

PEMBROKE – All-American Luke Charles threw for 113 yards and engineered a 75-yard scoring drive on the first possession of the contest to highlight UNCP’s sixth annual Black & Gold Spring Game on Saturday afternoon at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.

The game – a 90-minute, 50-play controlled scrimmage – was littered with special teams situations as the Braves put the lid on its 15-session spring practice season. Charles completed 8-of-12 passes with an interception in booking most of the offensive highlights, while Ben Decelle hauled in five catches for 63 yards as well. Donald Britt scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass minutes into the contest, while Michael Doss kicked a pair of field goals, including a 40- and a 43-yarder late in the game. Eddie Wickline registered a 19-yard field goal as well.

Asheville High senior Darius Burton has signed to play college football for Mars Hill.

Here is the most up-to-date list of Western North Carolina athletes who have committed or signed to play college sports. As of today, the list has grown to 128 names. Coaches, parents and athletes, if you know of anyone not listed, please contact me at apearson@citizen-times.com or 232-5863.

BASEBALL

Bryan Bussey, North Buncombe to Walters State

Jared Carver, McDowell to Milligan

Hunter Donaldson, North Henderson to Brevard College

Colby Fox, North Buncombe to Campbell

Chanz Fritz, Franklin to Tuccoa Falls

Hunter Galloway, Brevard to Pikeville

Aaron Goforth, West Henderson to Brevard College

Todd Griffin, North Buncombe to Mars Hill

Katon Harwood, Reynolds to Clemson#

Tim McKeithan, Roberson to Brown

James Nevant, Roberson to Notre Dame

Brandyn Norton, North Buncombe to Western Carolina

Chris Rice, Hendersonville to St. Andrews

Logan Sales, Brevard to Pikeville

Thomas Waddell, East Henderson to Catawba Valley

Zack Wiseman, Mountain Heritage to UNC Asheville

Justin Woods, Tuscola to UNC Asheville

BASKETBALL

Kristen Almond, Pisgah to Catawba Valley

Will Carpenter, Smoky Mountain to Milligan

Jessica Edmonds, Carolina Day to Liberty

Katrina Evans, Murphy to Young Harris

Jessica Farmer, Carolina Day to Elon

Brooke Garrison, Erwin to Converse College

Jerome Hairston, Christ School to Towson

Shannon Hale, Christ School to Alabama*

Kaitlin Jackson, Carolina Day to Eckerd

Shellie Riddle, McDowell to Montreat

Lindsay Simpson, Franklin to Western Carolina

Brittany Singleton, Tuscola to Newberry

Megan Tennant, Avery County to Bluefield

Will Weeks, Christ School to UNC Asheville

Katie Williams, Robbinsville to Brevard College

FOOTBALL

Eric Arreaga, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Colt Austin, Erwin to Mars Hill

Ryan Bristle, Tuscola to Campbell

Rod Brown, Roberson to Emory & Henry

DeAngelo Brown, Asheville to Mars Hill

Dillan Burrell, East Henderson to Ferrum

Darius Burton, Asheville to Mars Hill

Jordan Collins, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Markece Cunningham, Polk County to Mars Hill

Seth Curtis, Murphy to Western Carolina

Ian Curtis, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Mahcallum Duckett, Hendersonville to Winston-Salem State

Isaac Edwards, Mitchell to Mars Hill

Tristen Endaya, Hendersonville to Carson-Newman

Thomas Evans, Franklin to Richmond

Dustin Fender, Madison to Mars Hill

Corey Fisher, West Henderson to Mars Hill

Travis Frizsell, Owen to Lenoir-Rhyne

Dwan Hanshaw, Roberson to Campbell

Tysean Holloway, Asheville to Appalachian State

Justin Hughes, Mitchell to Mars Hill

Zack Hurwitz, Roberson to Brevard College

Drew Huskey, Swain County to Mars Hill

Colby Hyatt, Swain County to Mars Hill

D.J. Johnson, Hendersonville to Mars Hill

Chad Koehler, Asheville School to Presbyterian

Dalton Ledbetter, Madison to Mars Hill

Alex Ledford, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Collin Lilly, North Buncombe to Charlotte

Cary Littlejohn, Polk County to Catawba

Sam Martin, Christ School to Furman

Denzel McKnight, Erwin to Fort Scott

Andy McMillan, Christ School to Furman

A.J. McMinn, Hendersonville to North Carolina A&T

Blake Metcalf, Reynolds to Western Carolina

Zack Mitchell, Christ School to Lafayette

Tyler Mote, Brevard to Guilford

Jacob Painter, Polk County to UNC Pembroke

Tom Pawlowski, Smoky Mountain to Grand Valley State

Pancho Ramirez, Cherokee to Carson-Newman

Austin Rice, Mountain Heritage to Brevard College

Malik Risher, Asheville School to Presbyterian

John Self, Andrews to Emory & Henry

Troy Self, Mitchell to Western Carolina

Michael Schill, Asheville School to Sewanee

Forrest Stamper, Cherokee to Carson-Newman

Heath Stevens, Pisgah to Gardner-Webb

Jeremy Wolfe, Cherokee to Carson-Newman

Victor Yurco, Enka to Mars Hill

Erwin softball player Haley Rollins has signed with Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.).

Charlotte Catholic principal Jerry Healy said an effort by Rowan County Schools to have his school and two other private schools removed from the N.C. High School Athletic Association will fail, but he worries what after-effects the movement might have.

Last week, six Rowan County schools started a motion to remove the three non-boarding parochial schools from the 390-school NCHSAA membership. Charlotte Catholic, Kernersville’s Bishop McGuinness and Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons are tuition-charging private schools in a league of free public and charter schools. Per NCHSAA rules, the motion required a membership vote. Those votes are due Tuesday at noon.

It will take a three-fourths majority for the motion to pass. NCHSAA deputy commissioner Que Tucker said the result of the vote will be made public at the NCHSAA annual meeting May 3, allowing workers to verify the ballots and make sure proper voting procedures were followed.

Local area high schoolers collectively combined to win Asheville Parks and Recs annual Jr Hi Neighbor Tournament. The team won competing against teams from 16 clubs throughout the NC, SC, Tenn and VA region. This was the final regular tournament for Biltmore 17 National which scored impressive 2nd place finish in Southern Classic at Anderson SC, 5th place finish in Shamrock Tournament in Roanoke,VA , and 9th place finish in Big South National Qualifier in Atlanta, GA.

Sauer (UNC Asheville), Griffin (Mars Hill) and Austin (Mars Hill) have all committed to play college volleyball as juniors.

The Sugar Jets (11-4-1, 5-3-1) honored breast cancer survivors by wearing pink shorts and socks for their “Pink Out” fund-raiser. And by completing a season sweep of the Cougars (who they also beat 3-1 on March 21), Enka took a major step towards winning the Mountain Athletic Conference 3-A championship.

Greta Humphrey was the player who scored the only goal for Asheville (8-6-3, 4-5-0).